Every trade I made from January through March 2026 — the strategy, the numbers, and what I learned along the way.
I track every options position I open. Not just the winners — all of them. At the end of each quarter I publish the full breakdown here, unfiltered.
This is Q1 2026. Three months, 14 closed positions, and a 100% win rate. Before you roll your eyes — I'll explain exactly how that's possible, and why it doesn't mean what you might think.
Everything I do is built around two core setups: diagonal spreads and short puts.
The diagonal spread — sometimes called a poor man's covered call — works like this: buy a long-dated LEAP call (6–12 months out), then sell a shorter-dated call against it every few weeks. The short call brings in premium. The LEAP gives you upside exposure without tying up the capital a full stock position would require.
Short puts are simpler: sell a cash-secured put below the current price, collect premium, and either let it expire worthless or buy it back at a profit. If assigned, you own the stock at a discount — which is fine if you wanted it anyway.
Here's the full dashboard for Q1 2026. Every position is listed — entry date, close date, capital used, P&L, and annualized return.
Jan 2026 — Mar 2026 · Real trades, real data
| Month | Pos. | P&L | Win % | Ann. ret. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 2 | +$646 | +487% | |
| Feb 2026 | 3 | +$1,217 | +389% | |
| Mar 2026 | 9 | +$1,950 | +219% |
| Ticker | Strategy | Entry | Close | Days | Capital | P&L | Ann. return |
|---|
Silver (SLV) was the engine of the quarter. Three separate diagonal spread positions — each with a long LEAP and a rotating short call — generated the bulk of the profits. The February diagonal alone returned +$782, the largest single position of the quarter.
The rolling discipline also paid off. Positions that looked uncomfortable mid-trade — APLD, ONDS, SOFI — were rolled forward rather than closed at a loss. Each roll booked premium and kept the thesis alive. All of them closed green.
The riskiest moment of the quarter was the SLV January diagonal. I sold the $72 call, then rolled to the $75 strike right before silver made a sharp move. The $75 short leg alone was down $1,069 on a mark-to-market basis. But because the position was structured as a diagonal — with a long LEAP providing the hedge — the combined position still closed at +$601.
That's the point of the structure. Individual legs can bleed. The position as a whole doesn't have to.
Four positions were rolled and remain active heading into Q2: SOFI (rolled to June), APLD (rolled to April), ONDS (rolled to April 17), and ACHR (rolled forward). All are collecting premium while the underlying theses play out. I'll include their final resolution in the Q2 recap.
If you have questions about any specific trade setup — the strike selection, the rolling logic, or how I size positions — drop them in the comments below. I read everything.
⚠️ Not financial advice. These are my personal trades shared for educational purposes only. Options trading carries risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Always do your own research.